Lost
by daughterofpercabeth417
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have just arrived back at Camp Half-Blood after the war with Gaea and the giants. All they wanted to do was spend their last few weeks before high school in New Rome together at their second home. It's really too bad they can't stay together for too long without losing each other...
1. Home

**Chapter 1: Home**

"Welcome back, Percy," I heard a voice say. I turned to see the head of camp activities, Chiron, gallop over towards my friends and me. It had been almost two years since I'd seen him. Anyone at camp, really. It was good to be back.

"Thanks, sir," I responded, smiling. "Sir, these are my Roman friends, Frank, son of Mars, and Hazel, daughter of Pluto." They both waved awkwardly.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Frank and Hazel. Although, you seem to be short a member," Chiron noticed. "Where is Leo?" Everyone became eerily quiet. Hazel and Piper turned away, fighting back tears. Frank rocked back and forth on his feet. Jason and Annabeth gulped, not making eye contact. I pulled Annabeth into my side, squeezing her tight.

"He, um," Jason explained. "He sacrificed himself to save us." A single tear slid down his cheek. In other circumstances, I may have laughed, but not now. Never about this. Leo was our best friend, Jason's especially. I knew the loss was hardest on him.

Chiron shook his head sadly. "I am so sorry for you. All of you. If you need anything, please know that I – all of us here at camp are here for you. Now, on to sleeping arrangements. Hazel –"

"Will sleep with me in the Hades Cabin," Nico said, running up to us with Will Solace. This surprised me, until I saw him grab Nico's hand. _Good for Nico_ , I thought. After all, Nico and been through a lot and deserved to be happy.

"Nico!" I heard Hazel squeal. I turned to see her running towards her brother. She tackled him in a hug. "Are you okay? How long have you been here? Who's that? What's his name? What have you been doing? Oh, I missed you!"

"Hi, Hazel," Nico chuckled, pulling Hazel off himself and standing her up. "Let's see. Yes, I'm okay. Only a few weeks. This is my boyfriend, Will. I've been hanging out with him and teaching a few classes. I missed you too."

"Well then, that's settled. Frank, I suppose you could stay in Cabin 5 with Ares' children, but if you didn't want to, you could always stay in Hermes' cabin with the other "unclaimed" campers," suggested Chiron.

Frank pondered the choice for a moment. "I think… I'll stay in Ares' cabin. There technically my siblings, right?"

"It's settled then. Nico, take Hazel to Cabin 13. Jason, take Frank to Cabin 5," instructed Chiron. "Give them a camp tour and then help them unpack."

I turned to Annabeth. "I'm going to go find Grover and Tyson. Need anything before I go?"

"I'm okay, Seaweed Brain. Really," Annabeth assured me. She leaned and kissed me. Small and sweet. I felt her soft lips against my own, remembering the night on the Argo II down in the stables. Everything seemed clearer then. It was just us, and that's all it had to be.

I pulled away, but only just. "See you, Wise Girl." I turned away and began walking down Half-Blood Hill.

As my eyes found the Arena, I spotted my best friend, Grover. He sat on a small bench on the edge playing his panpipes. As I jogged up to him, he glanced up and dropped his pipes. Grover cantered over, smile growing. He practically jumped three feet when he hugged me.

"Hey, man! How's it going? How are things with Juniper?" I asked. Grover threw his arm around my shoulders, playfully dragging me down.

"Hey, Percy! Juniper's great. Everything's great. Gods, I missed you," Grover beamed. As we crossed the Arena (not smart) we talked and laughed, catching up on what the other had been doing, not really paying attention to what was going on around us (definitely not smart). I barely stopped in time as a sword flew passed my head. I turned towards the direction it came from. Clarisse.

"Get the hell off my arena, Jackson!"

"Nice to see you too, Clarisse."

As Grover and I kept walking, we were constantly greeted by campers, new and old, who had heard the story of The Seven and wanted autographs or to hear my version of their favorite parts. I have to admit, I kind of liked being famous again. It had been a few years since I'd found Zeus' lightning bolt or escaped the Labyrinth alive.

As we approached Cabin 3, my second home, my half-brother Tyson burst out. "Brother!" He rushed over and embraced me tightly. _Really_ tightly.  
"Hey, buddy," I wheezed. "I missed you, too, but I also can't breathe." Tyson laughed and let me go.

"Come inside, brother," he smiled. "I have been preparing for your return." Tyson beckoned me inside the cabin excitedly.

 _Woah_ , I thought. The cabin was decorated in blue streamers, blue balloons, basically any decorations you could think of were in the cabin. All over. All blue. I grabbed a blue cupcake off the dresser.

"This is… amazing. Really, man. Thank you. Who made these cupcakes?" I asked, mouth full.

"I stole them from the mess hall," Tyson exclaimed proudly. I was surprised. It wasn't like Tyson to do that.

"Well, do it more often because these are really good."

I turned to walk out when I paused. "Hey, have you seen that picnic basket Annabeth and I used to use?"

As I made my way to Cabin 6, I rehearsed what I was going to say to Annabeth when I saw her. I knew what ever happened, she would say yes. The only issue was getting her to say yes at that moment. After all, she could say "Sure, just after this" or "Sure, but how about after dinner". But that wasn't an option. It had to be now.

"'Hey, Wise Girl. I've got something to show you," I muttered. "No, she'd say she'd look at it later." I paused for a moment to think. "'Annabeth, want to see something awesome?' No, she'd definitely would say no to that." Too late now. I was already outside. I took a deep breath and knocked on the cabin door.

"Come in," Annabeth's voice called out.

"Hey, Wise Girl. I've got a surprise for you," I said. _Nailed it_ , I thought.

Annabeth put her book down. "Really? It's not even my birthday."

I closed the door and strolled over to her bed. "Does a boyfriend need an excuse to do something nice for his girlfriend?"

"No… why?"

"I told you already. I have a surprise," I repeated, hopping onto her bed.

"Percy, you know the rules. You and I can't be in a cabin alone," Annabeth reminded me.

"Does that rule really apply to counselors?" I asked, leaning in to kiss her.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," she said, pushing me off the bed. "Can you let me get my shoes on, or is that too long to wait?"

I rolled my eyes and stepped outside. Soon Annabeth stood next to me. She smiled. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, grabbing her hand.

"Let's go," I said. I began walking towards the North Woods.

"Percy, where are you taking me?" Annabeth asked again.

"Fine," I sighed, giving in to her pestering. "You know that small clearing on the edge of the North Woods? That's where I'm taking you. And that's all you're getting out of me until we get there."

Soon we reached the edge of the trees. "Ready," I asked. Annabeth nodded. I brushed my hand along the side of a tree and a dryad handed me a small blue flower.

"Here," I said, handing it to Annabeth. She smiled and pulled her hairband out of her hair, let her long blonde curls fall across her shoulders.

As I stepped into the clearing, I shooed away the small animals trying to get into the picnic basket I had set down across a small blanket. I heard Annabeth gasp behind me.

"So, what do you think?" I asked. I waited for a response, but it didn't come. I turned around to find myself standing alone. "Annabeth? _Annabeth!_ "


	2. Broken

**Chapter 2: Broken**

As I spun around, shouting her name and searching for my girlfried, the situation became clearer. She was gone. _Annabeth was gone_. It wasn't fair. I wanted to scream.

"Why can't we just have a normal life?" I muttered. I shook my head. I knew why, but I didn't want to admit it to myself.

My face darkened. I knew what this was. "What the fuck is the matter with you!?" I screamed, throwing my head up at the sky. I knew she would hear me. I knew she would.

"Why us? Why can't you leave us alone?" I began to shake. After all we'd been through, it wasn't fair that we couldn't have just one day to ourselves. I began to feel dizzy, like the whole world was spinning. I reached out my hand, trying to balance myself. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think straight. Falling to the ground, I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall. With my back against a tree, I curled up into a ball and just cried.

Why her…

* * *

I don't know how long I was there, but it was definitely a long time. I sat there, my back against a tree, for what felt like an eternity. An eternity of sunshine and soft breezes. I hated it. It all seemed to perfect and happy. Like someone took my feelings, turned them upside down, and gave them back to me. It was wrong. I wanted to give Annabeth something to remember, but I can't, not without losing her. It wasn't fair.

I tried to take in the world around me. The sky was darkening, so everyone must have been called to dinner by now. Chiron had probably called The Seven up to dinner, announcing Leo's death as he did. Everyone probably freaked out when I wasn't there. When Annabeth wasn't – oh gods, _Annabeth_. I had been so overwhelmed with emotion that I hadn't even stopped to think about her or where she was or if she was even okay.

"Percy!" I heard a girl's voice. I had almost mistaken it for Annabeth's, but I knew better than to get my hopes up. I turned to see Piper and Jason running towards me. "Jason, go get the rest of them. Now!"

I watched in a haze as Jason ran off through the trees. I heard Piper calling my name, but I wasn't listening. I felt myself begin to hyperventalate again. I never completely processed what had happened, and I don't think I could. I felt a sharp pain in my right cheek. Piper had slapped me.

"Snap out of it!" Piper shouted, a hint of charmspeak in her voice. "What the hell happened? Where is Annabeth?"

I swallowed hard. I wasn't totally sure. "I – I brought her out here, just for us," I stuttered softly. "We were here, and then she wasn't. She disappeared. Just like I did." I pushed up from ground and began to storm towards camp.

"I'll kill her," I muttered. "I swear, I'll kill her." I heard Piper run after me. She grabbed my arm, but I shook her off. I didn't have time to be slowed down. I had to get out of here. Out of camp. Out of Long Island. I had to get to the city.

"Percy, stop!" Piper shouted. There was no charmspeak that time. Just honest sincerity. She was begging, pleading me to stop. I did, just as my head exploded with pain. My hands flew to my head, trying to dull the throbbing.

Then the world went dark.

* * *

I didn't know where I was, but I seemed to be dreaming. I hadn't dreamt since we had defeated Gaea. I clenched my fists. I was so tired of the gods fucking up my life. Now, they've cost me Annabeth. Again. I could barely keep my feelings inside when she disappeared while we rescued Nico and Bianca. Barely.

My dream went like thsis:

Everywhere I looked, darkness. I thought for a moment I was dead, but the dead can't hear, and I could vaguely hear the ocean's waves on sand. Then a light appeared. It didn't appear to be lighting anything up, only shining for the sake of it. A could almost hear a small wimpering, but it was gone when a deep voice began talking.

HELLO PERCEUS JACKSON.

I spun around, trying to find the source of the sound, but it seemed to be coming from all directions.

"Who are you," I asked. "What do you want?"

AND I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN THE WHEREABOUTS OF YOUR PRECIOUS ANNABETH CHASE, RATHER THAN MY NAME OR WHAT I WANT WITH YOU.

I froze. The voice knew where Annabeth was? I was unsure what to say. If this… force, did know where Annabeth was, I had to know. But asking could cost me greatly, and I wasn't prepared to lose anyone or anything else.

"I know how this works," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "You tell me what I want to know, but I have to give you something in return, and I have a feeling it won't just be a stick of gum."

YOUR FEELING IS CORRECT. IF I TELL YOU WHERE SHE IS, THEN I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO ANYTHING I WANT WITH HER. VOICES CAN BE VERY POWERFUL, AS YOU MAY KNOW.

I almost had a panic attack. I couldn't risk Annabeth's safety, but I couldn't lose her either. I had to think quickly. If I went along with the deal, by the time I got to Annabeth, she could be long gone, and I couldn't risk her. Never.

"Can I make one change?" I ask, knowing this is the only way to ensure that Annabeth will be okay.

I SUPPOSE, AS LONG AS IT'S REASONABLE.

I inhaled sharply. I was praying to every god I could think of that this would work. "You show me where she is, and you do whatever you want, just as long as you don't _hurt_ her."

There was an awkward silence as my eyes dropped to my feet. I figured the voice was thinking, if that's even possible. I didn't want to say anything, but Annabeth could be anywhere, and I need to know where that was. I couldn't just leave her behind.

YOUR DEAL IS ACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER, MY SIDE OF THE DEAL SHALL BE CARRIED OUT FIRST.

My eyes shot upwards towards the light. "Wait, no! Let me see her!" I commanded. The voice just laughed.

STUPID MORTAL. DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT THIS WOULD WORK IN YOUR OR THE GIRL'S FAVOR?

The room went dark. I could hear something crackling and thundering. It shook the room and almost threw me off balance. I heard a scream. It sounded female, almost familiar.

 _Oh, no._

"WHAT THE HELL ARE DOING!" I screamed at the voice. "LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE!" I pulled Riptide out of the pocket and uncapped the pen. However, instead of a monster, I was faced with an odd golden haze, like an Iris message, only larger.

"What the hell," I whispered in confusion.

YOU WANTED TO SEE ANNABETH CHASE. NOW YOU CAN.

Figures began to take from the in the gold light. I saw Annabeth. She was sitting as a small at a small table studying at what appeared to a library. I smiled. She was okay. She was happy. As I watched my girlfriend, a boy who looked about our age walked up to her. He had dirty blonde hair with a short surfer cut. His eyes were bright green and he wore a high school varsity football jacket. I suddenly felt… almost jealous. The boy touched her shoulder and she stood up with him. My eyes widened at the girl I saw. Annabeth's blonde hair har was pulled back in a tight, high ponytail. She wore a navy blue dress, a white jean jacket, and sandals. She looked nice, don't get me wrong, but his wasn't her. The boy grabbed her books with one arm, and took Annabeth's hand with the other. I had to hold myself back from trying to jump through the screen and strangle him. Clenching both my jaw and hands, I watched as he held the door out of the library for her. I was fuming so much that I almost missed the San Fransisco Public Library sign in front of the building. _San Fransisco_. I'd found Annabeth, but at the same time, I'd lost her. I moved my eyes back over to Annabeth and the boy. He even drove her back to what I assumed was her house. I watched as he walked her up to the front porch. Before entering, Annabeth stopped and smiled at the boy. The same smile she'd given me just hours before as we walked to the North Woods. Suddenly the boy leaned in and kissed her. He kissed my girlfriend. And the worst part was, she kissed him back. I smashed my hand through the golden haze, heartbroken and confused.

"What did you do?" I asked softly.

I WIPED HER MEMORY. YOUR PRECIOUS ANNABETH CHASE IS GONE. SHE NOW HAS NEW MEMORIES, NEW FRIENDS, A NEW FAMILY, A NEW LIFE. SHE IS NO LONGER YOURS.

"Why?" I swallowed hard. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst, and my head throbbed so bad I though it would explode.

BECAUSE I'VE HEARD OF YOU, PERSEUS JACKSON. YOU ARE A DEMIGOD, JUST AS YOUR GIRLFRIEND. YOUR KIND SHOULD NOT EXIST. NONE OF YOU, NOT ONE.

I shook my head in silence. I was heartbroken, confused, angry, lost, and uncomfortable. It was overwhelming.

PERHAPS ONE DAY WE WILL MEET AGAIN, YOUNG DEMIGOD, PERHAPS ONE DAY…

The room around me began to fade. "No, I'm not done talking with you yet," I said, voice rising. " _Wait_ –"


	3. Unwanted

**Chapter 3: Unwanted**

I opened my eyes to see the remaining Seven, Grover, and Tyson standing over me. I squinted, covering my eyes from the bright summer sun. As my eyes came into focus, I tried to sit up, only to be stopped my a throbbing pain in my head. I fell back down, shaken from my nightmare.

"Will! Will, he's awake," I heard I heard Hazel call. I heard footsteps which I assumed belonged to Will. Trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my head, I sat myself up and swung my legs over the bedside.

"Woah, slow down, man. I'm surprised you only slept for a night. You hit your head pretty hard," Will commanded. He lightly pushed me back down onto the bed. I watched as Will poored something into a glass, dropped a straw into the cup, and handed it to me. I took the glass and swallowed it all in one gulp. I knew what it was: nectar. It still tasted like my mom's chocolate chip cookies. My mom who was visited by Annabeth almost every day when I was gone for eight months.

"Percy, what happened?" Grover asked. There was a sympathetic look on his face. All of their faces, but I didn't want it. What I wanted was to bring Annabeth home safe. But I knew that I couldn't do that until I had regained my strength.

"I – I don't know," I admitted. "I wanted to do something special. That's it –"

"The picnic basket," Tyson said. I nodded.

"We were so close, and then she was gone. I am _so_ tired of losing her. Losing everything because of who I am. Annabeth doesn't deserve this. She never did anything." I stood up and pushed passed Will. As I headed towards the door, I felt and hand grab my wrist.

"Percy, what are you doing?" Jason asked firmly. "Whatever it is, we all want to help you, but we can't if you don't tell us what's going on." Clenching my fists, I pulled my arm away and sat down on the edge of the bed. I took a deep breath and recounted the whole story, from my entrance at Cabin 6 to the end of my dream.

"Man, I'm sorry," Frank said, again rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Yeah, me too," I announced. "I'm sorry that Annabeth is gone. I'm sorry that there is nothing, _nothing_ I can do right now to help her. I'm sorry that you all think it's ok to spend your time in other people's business when they didn't ask for your help!"

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Gods, guys. I'm sorry. I'm just really frustrated." I turned to my friends. "I'm going into the city. I think I know what to do, I just don't know _how_."

"Then we'll figure it out together," Grover said, sitting down next to me. "It's been the three of us, you, me, and Annabeth, for almost five years now. Nothing is going to change that."

"Grover's right," Jason said. "Annabeth is our friend, too. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will help you do whatever it takes to bring Annabeth home."

I smiled. Gods, why are our lives so on-and-off. One minute things are good, and bed the next. Just running in a constant circle, with no end of the line, no peace. "Let's go, then," I said, standing up and heading towards the door.

As I stood in front of the entrance to Olympus, I tried to slow my heartbeat. It felt like a hurricane was in my head, unable to slow down. The whole way to the Empire State Building, I tried to take deep breaths and calm myself down, but I just couldn't do it, for many reasons. For starters, I don't know if I can face the gods again, after everything that had gone down, especially Athena. I know she doesn't like me, and I don't think my losing her daughter helping our, well, I wouldn't even call it a minor friendship. She hates me. And, I don't know that I'd be able to keep it together. Breaking down in front of the gods won't win me any help, just a lot more teasing from Ares.

I put my hands on the entrance and pushed. The door opened slowly to reveal a giant courtyard. Strategically placed in the grass were statues of the gods. Everything was white and big. Really big. Now, I don't normally notice things like this, but I did, and it was breathtaking. Gods, Annabeth was really good at architecture. Choking back tears, I walked down the pathway that led to huge white doors.

"Hey, Percy," Frank called out. "How, do we get the gods' attention?"

"Simple," I answered calmy. "We all call out to our parents – all the gods – really loudly and hope it works. If we do it enough, it should." I turned around to face my friends. "Just know, I'm prepared to stay as long as it takes. You all don't have to do this, but I do. Annabeth was my first girlfriend, my first love, my first everything. I'm staying, but if, at any point, you want to go back to camp, go ahead. I won't stop you."

Piper stepped forward, shaking her head. "Percy, none of us are going anywhere. Whatever you need, we'll be here. We're a family."

I felt a smile spread across my face. It was my first real smile since I'd lost Annabeeth. She has so many people who care about her, and the faster I could tell her that, the better.

"Let's do this."

It was only a few minutes before most the of gods arrived in the throne room. One by one, the took their seats, annoyed and confused looks on their faces.

"Percy, what's going on?" my father asked. "You sounded worried when you called. Is everything okay?"

Athena stepped forward. "And where is my daughter?" she inquired sharply. Her tone made me cringe. I knew that she'd blame me for Annabeth's disappearance, but I didn't have time to deal with her.

"It's Annabeth," I said. "She's missing."

" – and we were hoping you could help us bring her home," I finished. I hoped everthing we'd been through would be enough to convince the gods to help us, but it was a long shot.

"Truthfully, I think this is just _wonderful_ ," Aphrodite admitted. "I do love a good love story."

"Mom!" Piper shouted. "One of my best friends is missing, and you think it's _wonderful_?" Piper groaned. I knew she didn't like the stereotype she had on her for being a daughter of the love goddess. She was different than her siblings, and that made it really hard for her to feel at home in her cabin, even has head counselor.

"Nah, the little bastards should suffer a bit," Ares countered calmly, as if he was commenting on the weather. I clenched my fists so tightly they almost bled.

"That's enough," Zeus interuppted. "Percy, you know that the gods cannot directly interfere with the lives of their children."

I hesitated. He wasn't wrong. The gods weren't supposed to affect their kids' lives. "I know that, but I figured you could make an exeption just this once." I turned to Athena. "She's your _daughter_ , and you can't do anything?"

"I wish I could, Percy," Athena began. "But – "

"Bullshit!" I shouted. " This is all bullshit!"

Jason grabbed my arm. "Woah, man, calm down. We'll figure it out."

"We don't have time to figure it out. _I_ don't have time. Gods, this is so stupid!" – I turned to my dad – "I never asked for this, you know?! I never asked to have my life turned upside down and screwed over just because you fucked my mom! I never asked to never have a normal life!I never asked to lose everything! I never – " I choked.

My father stepped forward. "Percy, please understand. We want to help you –"

"Not really," Ares interrupted.

Poseidon sighed. "Fine. _Some_ of us want to help you, but we can't –"

"Screw you," I snapped. "Screw all of you." I began to walk away but paused. "You know, I thought the gods were supposed to be these great beings that should be worshiped, but I don't want to have anything to do with you. Any of you."

"Percy, please," my dad pleaded.

"Just forget it," I cut in. _I'll_ save Annabeth. _I'll_ get her her memories. _I'll_ bring her home."


	4. Closer

**Hey guys! I decided to post another chapter. So sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been reading lots of other fanfictions as well as Trials of Apollo. Plus, I've had a lot of choir performances so... Anyways, enough with the excuses an on the the chapter. Don't forget to comment and share.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Closer**

As I made my way down the thin isle, I yanked my suitcase along behind me, trying to not get it caught on any more seats.

* * *

 _I heard my friends call out after me as I stormed out of Mount Olympus._

 _"_ _Brother," Tyson called louder. "You are sad. Please stop being sad."_

 _I sighed and turned around. "Tyson, I wish I could, but not right now. As soon as we bring Annabeth home, I'll stop being sad. I promise"_

 _"_ _Then let's get going," Grover said. He walked up and put his arm around me. One by one, we were joined by the rest of our friends, and we made our way back to the city._

* * *

Finally I found my seat. I lifted my suitcase above my head and heaved it into the compartment. I squeezed my way past Piper and Jason and dropped into the seat. I hadn't slept at all of last night and was exhausted. I needed to have another dream that could let me see more of Annabeth. I closed my eyes and waited for the plane to take off.

* * *

 _I knocked on the door. It opened almost instantly. My mom was wearing blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt. A black apron was tied around her waist and she was holding a half-cleaned frying pan. Her eyes widened when she saw my face._

 _"_ _Mom," I said warily. "I know this is a big deal for you, but I need you to keep it together. Annabeth is in trouble and I need your help. Can you help us?" I asked, motioning to my half-smiling friends._

 _She dropped the pan._

 _"_ _Sally," Paul called from the other room. "Are you okay?"_

 _I slowly bent down to pick up the pan. My friends and I stepped through the door and into my old apartment._

 _"_ _Percy," Paul said as he walked into the room. "It – um, it's good to see you again. How are you? Are you okay?"_

 _"_ _Hi, Paul. Yeah, I'm okay –"_

 _I suddenly found myself trapped in my mother's arms. She was sobbing, but I didn't mind. I knew they were tears of happiness._

 _"_ _Gods, Percy" she cried. "Are you okay? How long have you been back? Why didn't you call? Oh, Percy, it's so good to see you a – is that a_ tattoo!"

 _Jason chuckled. "Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. It's a Roman thing."_

 _"_ _You went to_ ROME _?!" my mom screamed._

 _"_ _Well, see, I didn't get the_ tattoo _in Rome, but I did go there," I clarified, as if that would help._

 _"_ _And I bet you went to Greece, too," she asked sarcastically._

 _"_ _Yes, they did!" Tyson replied._

 _Paul stepped forward and grabbed my mother's arm. "Sally, why don't we have the rest of Percy's friends come inside and fill us in on what has happened since, well, since the Titan War. Okay?"_

 _My mom nodded, a fierce look in her eyes._

* * *

The cabin began to shake as the wind blew harder. I gripped the seats and squeezed my eyes shut. I could hear Piper asking if I was okay, but I couldn't respond. I tried to clear my mind, but it was racing faster than it ever had before.

 _"_ _So Annabeth is gone, like you, but with new memories, unlike you?" my mom asked me. I nodded._

 _"_ _And we need to get to San Francisco as soon as possible. I was hoping you had a bit of extra cash we could use. I still have some left over from those jobs I had during the school year, but it won't be enough for all of us to go."_

 _"_ _Depending on the flight, you should be able to get pretty cheap tickets," Paul inferred. "School is starting soon, and not many families go on vacation this close to the beginning of the school year."_

 _"That's great," I said. "Really. You have no idea how much that means to me."_

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the wind had stopped, and we seemed to be descending. I looked out the window and saw the huge cities. Never had I been more nervous for anything. A flight attendant's voice came on through the loudspeaker, informing us of our landing that would take place in about five minutes. I sighed in relief. I never liked flying.

"Where to now, Percy?" Grover asked as we stepped off the bus. We were standing on the sidewalk of a busy street. I grabbed a map off of the bus stop.

"It looks like we aren't too far from the library where I saw Annabeth, so we shouldn't be too far from her school," I replied.

As we made our way to the school nearest to the library, we weaved in and out of San Francisco-ians. I'm pretty sure nine out of ten times one of us ran into someone, they were wearing really loud clothes. (Of course, never as loud or as obnoxious as Mr. D.)

I checked my watch. "It's almost three o-clock, so Annabeth should be getting out of school soon," I informed my friends as we approached the school's front doors. We all sat down on a nearby bench and waited. No one said anything; no one had to. We knew what each other what thinking, but no one dared to admit it. I'd probably kill anyone on the spot if they did. I was literally losing my mind.

"Guys, I don't know that I can wait any longer," I announced, standing up. I began to pace. "What if she won't even listen to me? Right now, I know her better than she knows herself, but we can't actually _say_ anything. Once she knows, she'll be in so much more danger, and without the years of training. I can't but her at risk like that, but what choice do I have?"

"It's not _I_ , Percy. It's _us_ ," Grover insisted.

I smiled. I loved my friends. They were my family, my home away from home. Right now, that family was incomplete, but they were willing to do anything to make it whole again. I killed me inside to know that Annabeth didn't know how many people truly cared about her.

"Grover's right, you know," Frank said. "I haven't known Annabeth that long, but for the time that I have, she's become a good friend to me. To all of us. And I know I'd do anything for my friends."

I opened my mouth to respond, but just as I did the bell rang. Students started pouring out of the doors and onto the courtyard. The school was huge. I suddenly became nervous. I didn't know how I would find Annabeth through all these other students.

"Hey Percy," Hazel called out. "I think I see some blonde curly hair. Is that her?" She pointed to the small group of teens talking. I recognized a few of them. Annabeth was there, talking and laughing like she used to do with us. That boy from my dream was there, too.

There were a few others that I didn't know, but I assumed they were Annabeth's friends.

"Showtime," I muttered.

As I walked up to Annabeth, she and her friends started to separate and move towards the buses.

"Sorry I couldn't get the car today," I heard the boy say.

"It's ok, Logan, I promise," Annabeth reassured him. I cringed as she kissed him on the cheek and waved goodbye.

"Annabeth," I called out. "Annabeth, wait up!"

She turned to face me. "Do I know you?"

* * *

 **Sorry! Really, but I tried to nice and end more like last chapter, but I couldn't help myself. Please please don't forget to comment and share. You guys have no idea how much it means to me when you comment.**

 **Love,**

 **daughterofpercabeth417**


	5. Farther

**HEY GUYS! Sorry that it's been so so so long. I've been super busy lately. I promise I would never forget about any of you. I love you all! Also, I know that Percy normally isn't supposed to fly, but I figured I could write him doing it because if he got in trouble every time he flew, there would have been some serious problems during the 7's time on the Argo II. That's all, just wanted to clear that up! Now, onto the chapter!**

 **Chapter 5: Farther**

I froze. "Uh, yeah. I mean, you did. Or, you do," I stuttered. Not sure what else to do, I grabbed Annabeth's wrist and pulled her towards me.

"What are you –?"

I locked our lips.

I barely touched her when a hand pulled me off. "What the hell?!" Logan shouted.

Annabeth grabbed Logan's arm. "Logan, it's ok. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding."

Logan shook her off. "Yeah, and I'm gonna find out exactly what this guy was thinking when he 'misunderstood' the situation." He brought his fist back and slammed it into my nose. Hard. I felt my nose, which was warm and wet with blood.

"Logan!" Annabeth shouted.

I chuckled. "Oh, the irony," I muttered. I punched Logan, causing his forehead to bleed.

"You little good-for-nothing freak!" Logan snapped. I froze for a moment. I remembered hearing those words not too long ago.

Logan obviously noticed the affect the words had on me. "Aww, does the little bastard have daddy issues?"

"Logan, stop!" Annabeth pleaded, but he ignored her.

I ran and tackled Logan. Back and forth, we threw punches, rolling on the ground. It was one thing for this kid to take Annabeth, but for him to insult my mother's choices to protect me was beyond not okay.

Piper ran up to us. "Percy, Logan, stop!" she shouted. We did. Damn her Charmspeak. I stood up with the rest of my friends as Annabeth pulled Logan off the ground.

"Logan, why don't you come over today so I can clean you up." He nodded. Annabeth headed towards her bus. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Logan picked up his backpack and stalked over to me. "If you _ever_ come near her again, you won't leave alive. Annabeth is _my_ girlfriend, not yours, and I'd do anything for her. _Anything_. Keep that in mind before you try anything like this again." He adjusted his backpack and joined Annabeth.

"Percy, what were you thinking?" Hazel asked. "Now we'll never save her."

"Shut _up_ , Hazel," I shouted, storming towards her. "Don't you _dare_ say that? Don't you dare even _think_ it?"

"Brother, you are angry," Tyson noted.

"Yeah, Tyson, I am! I'm angry and upset and frustrated and –" I stopped. "Never mind. Just forget it. We're going back to New York. It's probably best if we don't fuck her life up anymore."

"Wait, so, we're just giving up?" Grover asked.

"Gods, Grover, _I don't know_!" I stormed off in the direction that we came.

I hadn't made it that far when I heard a voice call out to me. "Hey, wait up!"

I sighed and turned around. "What –? Annabeth?" She walked over to me, smiling sweetly. I still couldn't wrap my head around the new her. It was so sudden. She was wearing a white top and a light blue skirt. She looked really nice, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't her.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Logan, or something?" I asked.

"His mom called him and said she needed him to pick up his sister so he couldn't come over. I decided to walk home when I saw you. I wanted to apologize for what happened back there. Logan isn't normally like that, but I'm sure I'd react pretty similar if a girl tried to kiss him, so…"

I fought the urge to try and kiss her again now that we were more by ourselves. "It's ok. I get it. I have a girlfriend and –" I sighed. "Well, you know."

Annabeth gave me a confused look. "Wait, if you have a girlfriend, then why did you try and kiss me?"

"I thought you were her. That's all."

"Ok, alright," she nodded skeptically.

We both stood there awkwardly for a few moments. Neither of us said anything. Even though it was only maybe a minute or two, it felt like an eternity.

"Hey, I don't have anywhere to be. Why don't I walk you home," I offered.

"Ok," Annabeth replied. I slid her backpack off her shoulders.

"So, I'm knew in town," I began, "And I don't really know much about the neighborhood. Anything worth stopping at before I leave?"

"Anything else," I laughed. The walk from the school to Annabeth's house took us about fifteen minutes. Annabeth's list took about fifteen minutes. _Some things never change_ , I thought. She still loved to see everything. I just wish that it was in New York, and not San Francisco.

"Oh! There's the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art! It's _so_ cool!" Annabeth exclaimed. Her eyes widened in embarrassment. "I've said that before, haven't I?"

"Only about three times," I chuckled. I noticed the worry in her eyes. "It's okay, though. I promise. I take it you've been there before." She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Of course! My dad took me there for my fifth birthday and I've been going every year since!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

I looked down awkwardly. "You weren't here since you were five years old," I muttered.

"What?" Annabeth asked innocently. I shook my head.

"Oh, okay," she said. "Well, this is it." We stood in front of a gray two-story house with white open shutters. It looked kind of old-fashioned, but in a good way.

"It's nice."

"Thanks. I helped design it," Annabeth commented like it was no big deal. I turned to her, eyes wide.

"We rebuilt the house a few years ago. I love architecture so my dad said I could contribute some ideas. Most of this is straight from my blueprints."

 _She still loves architecture_ , I thought, smiling. Some things never change. It both warmed and pained me to see her like this. Annabeth was happy, still doing what she loved, but it wasn't real. None of it was. She obviously noticed something was wrong, because she gave me a concerned look.

"Percy, are you okay?" Annabeth asked. Her voice brought me out of my thoughts. I nodded uncertainly. Together, we walked up her front porch steps and I handed Annabeth her bag.

"Thanks for walking me home, Percy," Annabeth said.

"No problem. I had fun," I replied. Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime?" I asked.

"Yeah, maybe."

We both stood there awkwardly for a few moments. "Well, I should probably get going, huh," I said. Annabeth nodded. I turned and began to walk back down the stairs when Annabeth grabbed my arm.

"Percy, I –" Annabeth stopped. "Just, don't tell Logan, okay?"

"I would never – Annabeth, are you okay?" I asked.

She looked at her feet and sighed. "I will be." Annabeth pulled me back up the steps and stopped me just inches away from her face.

And we kissed.

 **I tried not to do any cliffhangers again! BTW, I'm sorry for my incapability to write anything remotely happy for more than a few paragraphs. I personally blame it on the demons that live inside my fingers, but believe what you want! Please share and comment!**


	6. Wrong

**Chapter 6: Wrong**

I sat down at the small table in the boys' hotel room with a pen and paper.

 _Dear Annabeth,_

 _I'm writing this card to you because today is your birthday. You probably still don't remember, but I thought this might help. I don't know if I'm even going to give this to you, but I had to get this out somehow._

 _Annabeth, you grew up with your dad in Virginia. He married a woman and they had two kids, Bobby and Matthew. I'm not going tell you that your life was great, just to make you feel better, because I don't lie to you. Your life was pretty crappy, and after a few nights of some spiders, which you hate, you ran away. After a little while, you met some people, Thalia, Grover, and Luke. It was pretty hectic, and would take too long to explain in just one letter._

 _5 years later, you and I met. The first thing you said to me was, "You drool in your sleep". Somehow, we became best friends. Of course, it took 3 or 4 quests. After this big war with Kronos and the titans, you and I finally got together. It was great, really, but it didn't last very long. Hera, she kidnapped me, wiped my memory, and sent me across the country. You saved me, Annabeth. You saved me, and you saved us. We walked through hell to be with each other. Really. And now you're gone._

 _Annabeth, when you disappeared, I vowed to everything and everyone I could think of that I would bring you home. Gods, Annabeth, this hurts like hell. Worse than hell. I miss you so fucking much right now. I don't have any idea what to do, and it's killing me. I just want you to come home._

 _Sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a depressing birthday card. I just really needed to get this out. There was this time when I thought about our future together. We were walking though Tartarus, and I was thinking how one day our sons and daughters would have to face this all over again._ Our sons and daughters _. Ours, Annabeth. Yours, mine, and ours. Now, that dream may never come true. I know that it's better if we think happy, but to be honest, it keeps getting harder and harder each day. I love you so much. I just wish you were around to hear me say it ._

 _Happy Birthday Wise Girl._

 _Love,_

 _Percy_

I put the pen down and leaned back in my chair. I reread the letter again and again, blinking back tears. This was something that I'd never done before. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out, in and out, again and again and again. Picking up the pen, I grabbed an envelope from the table. _Open this on your 17th birthday._ Another piece of paper.

 _Dear Annabeth,_

 _This is the second letter I'm writing to you. If you decided to open these when I told you to, you should be opening this on Christmas._

 _How is everything? How is Logan? I hope you guys are still together. I know he makes you happy. Tell him I'm still not sorry for kissing you that first day. Or punching him. A lot. I still miss you so much, Annabeth. It's been almost 6 months since I last saw you. I was going to get you a gift, but I didn't know what you wanted. I'm writing these letters all at once, so I don't for sure what I'll be doing when you read this. I'd probably with my mom and Paul, or at Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter with the 7 and all our other demigod, satyr etc. friends. Wherever I am, I know that there will be one present that is unaddressed because I couldn't bring myself to write your name._

 _You probably have your sophomore midterms soon. I bet your studying really hard. I'm sure you'll do great. They'll probably have to call you in to the office for suspected cheating because you're the only one who got 100%. I know you'd never cheat. You might not still believe this, but the Annabeth I knew always believed in earning titles and awards, not taking them from other people to get ahead. Gods, I hope you never forget how truly amazing you are._

 _I have some Christmas wishes for you. I hope they make you smile._

 _1._ _I hope you graduate high school top of your class._

 _2._ _I hope you get into your first pick for college._

 _3._ _I hope you get a great scholarship._

 _4._ _I hope you get married._

 _5._ _I hope you start a family._

 _6._ _I hope you travel the world, and for not some deadly quest._

 _7._ _I hope you live your life to the fullest._

 _8._ _I hope you do what you love doing, and change the world because of it._

 _9._ _I hope that when you die, you die smiling._

 _10._ _I hope you never, ever forget how much you mean to so many people._

 _11._ _I hope you never forget that you are worth it, no matter what anyone says._

 _12._ _I hope that one day, you get your memories back._

 _13._ _I hope you come home._

 _14._ _I hope you're okay when you do._

 _15._ _Most of all, I hope that, if your memories never come back, you forget me. I hope you forget the day that we met again and I kissed you and beat up your boyfriend. I hope you forget the boy that you kissed on your front porch steps half an hour after you met him. I promise you he's okay, and there is no need to worry._

 _I love you,_

 _Percy_

I grabbed the next envelope, trying not to think too hard and start crying. _Open this on Christmas._ Another sheet of paper, another letter. I wrote one for her high school graduation and for her college graduation. I wrote one for her prom. I wrote one for the day she gets proposed. I wrote over ten more letters, all about things that I would be missing in her life. Accept one.

 _Dear Annabeth,_

 _This letter is for the day you get married. I hope you're reading this before you get ready, just in case you cry._

 _I don't know who you're getting married to, but please tell whoever it is that they are the luckiest person in the world. You deserve this more than anyone, and I just wish that I was the one standing there next to you, telling you how much I love you, and that I would never,_ ever _leave you till death do us part._

 _This letter is different from all the other ones I've written. The other letters, they are about things that I won't be there for. This one is about something that I won't be a part of. I don't know how old you are going to be when you read this letter. I know assuming that we would be together forever when right now I'm only 17 is pushing our luck, but I don't care. Annabeth, you were –_ Are _my first love. People say that it's better to move on and not dwell in the past, but I don't know how. You probably do. You'd have some scientific explanation that would end with me kissing you._

 _I used to have dreams about our wedding day. They were the only dreams I had that didn't include monsters or quests or death threats. All of our friends and family would be sitting in the audience. You would walk down the aisle in this simple but elegant dress. Your hair would be up as always and your makeup natural and beautiful. You'd insist on keeping our vows a secret until the wedding, and they would be full of jokes and insults. It wouldn't be too big or too long or too crazy. It'd be perfect. Like you. I could never figure out where it was though. It looked indoors and outdoors all at the same time. I don't really care, though._

 _Sorry, this isn't about me. Today is your special day, and I shouldn't take away from that. Really, though, whoever it is that you're marrying is the luckiest person to ever exist. When you and I were together, I used to make these rules for myself. I know it sounds pretty stupid. I kind of suck at following rules, but I didn't want to hurt you. Truthfully, I was scared. Annabeth, you are one of the only people that I ever told about Gabe. I couldn't help but be afraid of the idea that one day we might get into a fight and things would go too far. The rules were for that. I hope that whoever you love doesn't need them._

 _It kills me that today you aren't promising to love_ me _forever and to never leave_ me _alone, but I know that trying to get involved would only hurt you more. That's what these letters are for. I can still be with you without tearing your life apart (I hope.) I still miss you._

 _Love,_

 _Percy_

I signed the last envelope and tucked all the letters – 14 in all – and tucked them into my suitcase. It felt good to get some quiet for once. With everyone else in the girls' room, it was nice to get a chance to relax. There was a knock at the door. I glanced at the clock; 5:00. It had been almost two hours since I had dropped Annabeth off at her house. She was probably finishing her homework and playing with her brothers. Or, at least, she would be if she was with her dad, stepmom, and brothers.

"Coming," I called out. I wondered if the others had called room service and sent me something really stupid, or a maid asking if we needed more towels. I peeked through the small hole to see who was standing at the door. _Annabeth?_ I wondered. She was standing with her arms wrapped around herself, tears streaming down her face. I unlocked the door.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?" I asked. "What happened?" Annabeth looked up at me with tear filled eyes. She rushed inside and sat down on the couch. I sat down next to her and took her hands in my own. "Annabeth, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"That's just it," she whispered. "Everything is wrong."


	7. Different

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took a little longer than normal. I wanted to make it longer because I'm leaving for camp in a few days for 3 weeks so I wanted to** **torture you guys** **get this last one in before I leave. I'll miss you all!**

 **Chapter 7: Different**

"What do you mean, 'Everything is wrong'?" I asked worriedly. She wouldn't look at me. Her hands were shaking in her lap and her eyes were glued to the floor. I took her hands into my own and lifted her chin so her eyes locked with mine.

"You'd probably call me crazy if I told you," Annabeth said softly. I shook my head.

"Never."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "It all started earlier this week. We'd been in school for a while and everything was great. Then, all of a sudden, I blacked out in the middle of class. My head exploded with pain, and I started screaming." I thought back to my dream, and the female scream I had heard. Had that been the same scream Annabeth had made?

"What happened after?" I asked. I wiped the tears that had begun to fall off her cheeks. I hadn't seen Annabeth like this since after her quest for the Athena Parthenos. It was killing me to see her like this and not be able to do or say anything. Telling her would be suicide. Knowing who she really is would put her in so much danger.

"Well," Annabeth continued, "Ever since then, I've felt, kind of, _different_. I know it sounds kind of stupid. You probably think I'm crazy now. I'll just go – "

I grabbed her hand as she stood up. "No. Stay. I don't think you're crazy. I actually think I might be able to help. Just, finish your story first."

"Um, okay," Annabeth reluctantly agreed. She sat back down next to me, appearing very uncomfortable. I put my arm around her and squeezed. She gave me a small smile.

"Well, then you and your friends showed up," Annabeth continued. "When you first came up to me today, after school, I felt something. It was like something was pulling in the back of my mind. Like reaching out for something that only becomes farther the closer you are to reaching it." I thought back to the time when Annabeth and I encountered the arai in Tartarus, and how she was cursed to feel the pain that Calypso had felt when I'd left her on Ogygia.

"Anyways, I felt as though I recognized you. But not from this life, from another. And, it felt good. It felt right, and I knew the moment I saw you that something was very off. About me, about you, about this life all together."

I couldn't breathe. Annabeth knew. Sort of. She knew that there was something missing this whole time. I wasn't sure how to feel. _Annabeth actually knew._ Suddenly I wanted to tell Annabeth everything. Everything that happened when she was a kid, everything that happened on our quests, all the things we did together. But I couldn't, and I knew that.

"Percy?" Annabeth's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Alright, Percy, you obviously know something, and you obviously don't want to tell me, but it's not fair to ask me to stay and then ignore me."

I winced. "Sorry Annabeth, I'm still on jetlag from New York so I'm kind of tired –"

"Wait, you came from New York," Annabeth interrupted. "Your girlfriend means that much to you? Wow, I don't think I've ever been in a relationship that serious. Even with Logan."

I smiled. "Yeah, my girlfriend does mean that much to me. Anyways, so how did you end up here? At my hotel, I mean."

Annabeth's smile dropped. "Oh, okay. Um, after you left, after our, you know, Logan stopped by. He said he felt bad about the fight and having to leave, so he surprised me. I tried to act like nothing happened, but I felt really bad, and Logan could tell something was wrong. I told him what happened." Tears started to fall down Annabeth's face again. "Logan, he flipped out. He couldn't understand why I did what I did and what I was going through. I tried to explain, but he left. He ended it."

My eyes widened. They were so serious and happy. I wasn't sure whether to feel glad that it got us closer to bringing Annabeth home, or sad that my girlfriend was heartbroken, even if it was over another guy. "Gods, Annabeth, I'm so sorry," I said softly.

A dark, fierce light flashed in her eyes. "No, no you're not," Annabeth snapped. "You know something, Percy. You know something about me and why I feel like this. You know _everything_ and you're keeping it from me." The harshness faded from her eyes. "Why?"

"If I told you, you'd never believe me, and you'd be in a lot more danger than you already are." I glanced over at Annabeth, but looked away quickly. She was so angry and upset, I couldn't look at her.

"You don't think I can handle it, can you?" Annabeth scoffed. "You think I'm some dumb blonde who can't do anything for herself. Don't you get it, Percy? I have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously and to overcome the _stupid_ stereotype. I finally thought that I met someone who would look beyond my features, but I guess not." Annabeth stood up and began storming towards the door. Man, that girl was fast. I'd barely caught her arm as she turned the door knob. I reached around her and slammed the door.

"Annabeth, please don't leave," I pleaded. "You know it's not like that. I would do anything for you, but…" I paused, trying to find the right words to say.

"But what?" Annabeth demanded. I opened my mouth to reply when we both fell into the hallway through the open doorframe.

" _But_ he can't tell you, because he knows it would be a pretty dick move," Grover snapped. Annabeth and I whipped around to see our friends standing at the door, eyes wide in surprise at the scene in front of them. We scrambled to our feet, cheeks warm and red with embarrassment.

"Percy, what is she doing here?" Frank asked skeptically.

Hazel nodded. "Yeah, Perce, what's going on? I thought we weren't doing this?"

Annabeth stepped towards Hazel. "Doing _what_ , exactly?" she asked firmly. Even I faltered at her tone. Annabeth was never like this. It scared me. What exactly had that voice done to her?

"Here's a thought," Piper said warily. "Why don't we all go inside, sit down, and have a civilized discussion. We –" Piper motioned to the rest of us and turned to Annabeth "– and you can sit and listen. Deal?" Annabeth nodded, though clearly skeptical of the odd group of people standing before her.

Annabeth's scared eyes locked with mine. "No. No, Percy, that is _not possible_. I – I can't be a demigod. The gods are myths. Monsters are myths. Demigods are myths. _Just myths_."

I took her hands. "I know it seems that way. I said the same thing when I found out. I know it's a lot to take in."

Annabeth chuckled. "No kidding. How do you expect to believe that my whole life is a lie. That everything I've ever known isn't real."

"I don't expect you to," I reassured her. "Why don't you go home and sleep on it. Come back tomorrow and we'll figure everything out."

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know, Percy. Are you sure this is a good idea? What is someone gets hurt? You were so reluctant to tell me in the first place and –"

"You'll be fine, Annabeth," Piper reassured her, Charmspeak obvious to those who knew her. "Just come by after school tomorrow and we'll make this work. Okay?" Annabeth nodded.

"Annabeth, why don't you head home now," Grover suggested. My girlfriend stood up and made her way towards the door. I followed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I whispered as I opened the door for her. Annabeth exhaled nervously and shook her head.

"I don't know. I have never felt so alone or lost or scared or confused in my life. I think – I don't know what I think." Annabeth blinked back tears. "I just need to get out of here and think all this through."

I gave her a small smile. "That's okay. Come back whenever you're ready." Annabeth wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Percy," she whispered in my ear. She let go and put her hands on my shoulders, squeezed, and left.

"Goodbye, Percy's girlfriend," Tyson called out after her. I shot him a look and closed the door.

I was finishing dinner with the other boys when I heard a knock on the door. I quickly rushed my plate to the counter and opened the door. Annabeth's tear-filled eyes stared back at me. I waved a halfhearted goodbye to my friends and stepped through the door, closing it behind me.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. Annabeth grabbed my hand and pulled me all the way to the small coffee shop across the street.

"I remember everything," Annabeth confessed as the waitress brought us our coffees. "Everything that I thought happened is like a distant memory and yesterday at the same time."

My eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "Oh my gods, Annabeth. That's great. That's better than great, that's _amazing_!" I paused. "Why don't you look more excited?"

Annabeth couldn't meet my eyes. "Oh, no. I am excited. Really. It's just, I've been thinking…"

"About what?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I just can't do this anymore, Percy. I can't keep chasing the idea of a normal life that will never come true. I can't keep living like this."

I reached across the table and grabbed her hands. "I understand. I know it's hard but – "

Annabeth yanked her hands away. "No, no you don't. Percy, when you lost your memory, your life was still upside down. When I lost mine, I got new ones. And for the first time in my life –" she took a deep breath "– things weren't about to fall apart. I could finally wake up and not be worried about getting attacked, and I could finally go to sleep without fearing the nightmares. I was _safe_ , Percy. Safe and happy and unafraid. You know that I love you, but – "

My eyes flashed with uncontrollable, sudden anger. "What are you saying? That suddenly I'm not enough. That you don't trust me to protect you anymore? _Life sucks_. For us, and for anyone around us, but we've always made it work, haven't we?" My expression softened into fear and sadness. " _What changed_?"

"I changed," Annabeth whispered. "This experience, it changed me, and for worse or for better, I like it. I like being normal and fitting in and having friends that I don't have to worry about dying or betraying me at any moment. I like having a family that doesn't drive me away or make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin."

"So what are you saying?" I asked softly. I knew what she was going to say, but I wanted to hear it from her. As mush as I knew it would tear me apart, I had to know for certain.

"I'm saying… _I'm saying I want to stay_ ," Annabeth rushed. She slowly met my eyes. I blinked back the tears forming and stood up.

"Percy wait," Annabeth begged as she followed me out the door. " _Please_."

I whipped around and the door slammed shut. "Why? Why should I wait when you've obviously moved on. I've tried so hard to be the man you want me to be, but I can't. Why does that suddenly bother you?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Percy, I never wanted you to be anyone but yourself. It's just –"

"Do you remember Circe's island, Annabeth?" I interrupted. She nodded. "Before she turned me into a Guinea pig, she showed me this illusion. The best version of me to goat me into drinking the potion. I use that, you know. That has always been my goal. The best version of me _for you_. How do you expect me do live my life knowing that my best wasn't enough for the one person I love for than anyone in the world?"

"Please, Percy. Try to understand" Annabeth pleaded. "This is so much bigger than us. It always has been. I wish it wasn't but –"

"Just forget it," I snapped. I stormed across the street, ignoring Annabeth's shouts after me.

"Percy, I'm begging you. Can we please talk about this?"

I balled me fists. "Leave me alone. I don't want to see you. Go back to Logan and to the life I could never, _ever_ give you."

Annabeth gasped. "Percy plea –"

 **Sorry! Really, I am... Okay no, not really. But I couldn't help myself. I needed a cliffhanger here. Please don't try and kill me (my friend who read this chapter before I uploaded already tried). Please share and comment!**


	8. Reaching

**Hey guys! I don't know if you all saw my author's note, but if not, I'm really sorry for not updating. I just spent the last three weeks at overnight camp, and I got back yesterday, so a lot has been going on. Sorry, no excuses. Onto the story.**

 **Chapter 8: Reaching**

… Everything happened so fast… I don't really remember what happened… She screamed… Gods, what have I done…

* * *

I was sitting on the cushioned seat as the wheels rolled along, my head in my hands, reliving the scene of what had happened. It was all my fault. If I had just let her explain, just let her tell me why… now it could all be over.

* * *

 _The car kept on driving, swerving, crashing. Whoever was driving was probably drunk. But that wasn't important. What has important was the blonde-haired body lying crumpled in the street. I could hear the sirens grow louder and louder. I rushed over, tears welling._

 _"_ _No, no,_ no _," I breathed. "Wake up, Annabeth, wake up!" No response. "Annabeth,_ please _. I didn't mean it." Silence. "Annabeth,_ I'm sorry _." People had started to gather now._

 _"_ _What happened?"_

 _"_ _Is she okay?"_

 _"_ _Who are they?"_

 _I lifted Annabeth's head into my lap, pulling the blood-stained hair frim her face. "Come back to me," I whispered. "Come back, come back, come back…"_

* * *

I was sitting in the waiting room, forehead against my palms, when I heard a rush of footsteps. I glanced up to see my friends.

"Percy, we got your text. What's wrong?" Grover asked. He had his crutches again. My friends took the seats around me and motioned for me to explain.

I told them everything.

"Oh gods," Hazel whispered. "I'm so sorry, Percy." She reached across the small coffee table and grabbed my hand.

Grover nodded. "We all are. But, did Annabeth really say that? That she wanted to stay?" I nodded solemnly and Grover laid back in his seat, sighing.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Piper reassured me. "And even if she did, I'm sure there was a reasonable explanation –"

I rocketed to my feet. "That's just _it_. She did have a reasonable explanation. And I didn't listen. I completely ignored her and everything she said. If I hadn't, then maybe –" My voice broke. I collapsed into my seat and put my head back in my hands, trying and failing to blink back the tears.

A middle-aged doctor entered the waiting room. "Percy Jackson?" I wiped my eyes and stood up. My friends and I walked over to him and I nodded, bracing myself for the worst.

"Ms. Chase is currently in a stable condition. She hasn't awaken yet, but feel free to go in and see her whenever you're ready." He began to walk away, but I grabbed his arm.

"Do you know when she'll be awake?" I asked. The doctor shook his head.

"It's too soon to tell, I'm afraid. Although, it really all depends on her." I nodded and quickly walked towards Annabeth's room.

"Let's give Percy some time first," I heard Piper say. I glanced back and nodded in thanks, and she returned it with a small, sad smile.

Annabeth's room, like most of the hospital, was white. The walls, the bed, the lights. It was too bright to think straight. I pulled a chair over to the hospital bed and sat down. There was a bandage covering half her forehead, a cast on her left arm, and cuts and bruises all over.

"Hi," I whispered, taking her hand. "I'm not really sure if you ca here me right now. But if you can, well, please listen." My eyes welled with tears. I glanced towards the door and then back at Annabeth's peaceful face. At least she wasn't in pain.

"I'm so sorry," I choked out. "I'm sorry you're stuck like this, and that I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry for everything. Gods, I don't deserve you. You're so much better than I'll ever be, and you deserve so much more than what I can give you." I took a deep breath, gathering the courage for what I was about to say.

"If you want to stay," I continued, my voice softer than before. "All I want is for you to be happy, and if forgetting the life used you used to live makes you happy, them stay and forget. I can't promise that I'll move on, but at least you be okay. That's all I care about."

I stood up and pulled the chair back to its place. I took one last look at Annabeth. Even asleep and covered in bandages she still looked beautiful. I leaned in and kissed her forehead.

* * *

I was sitting on the edge of the beach, my knees tucked in and my feet in the water, thinking through everything. _Everything_. From my 6th grade class' field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to what I'd said to Annabeth at the hospital. We'd been through so much together, and I'd blown it, just because I was so tired of losing people.

"Maybe she's right," I thought out loud. "Maybe a fresh start is all we need." I laid down on the sand and closed my eyes. I imagined someone else, someone who wasn't a demigod or knew anything at all about my life. I imagined dating them, marrying them, _starting a family_ with them. I imagined everything falling apart when we got attacked and losing everything. _Again_.

I opened my eyes and sat up. "There's no getting out of this, is there?" I asked to no one.

* * *

It was almost 10:00 when I got back to the hospital. Annabeth's face was glowing in the moonlight shining through window. I pulled the chair back over to the side of the bed and sat down.

"Goodnight, Annabeth," I said softly. I slowly stood up and kissed, light and soft. "I'll always love you. I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

And found myself in the black room.

 **I hope you like the chapter! Please comment, follow, and share. Also, I love reading fanfic, so if any of you write, please comment the info! I'll try to get a new chapter up soon!**

 **Love,**

 **daughterofpercabeth417**


	9. Together

**Hey demigods! So, good news and bad news. Bad news first: The story is almost over! Good news: That means I can't torture you with cliffhangers anymore. Yay! Please check out the A/N at the end! Anyways, here is the chapter.**

 **Chapter 9: Scared**

The room was just as I remembered. Never ending, dark, with just a single light in the center lighting up nothing. Except, this time, it was. A girl was lying, crumpled on the floor, whimpering in fear. It almost sounded like…

"Annabeth?" I asked fearfully. She looked up and met my eyes, which lit up when they found me. Annabeth scrambled to her feet, and we rushed to meet each other. Standing in the faint light, our foreheads touched as our arms wrapped around one another. "Oh, gods. Annabeth, I'm so sorry."

She pulled away slightly. "Why are you sorry? This isn't your fault. None of it is." I shook my head in disagreement. Her tears had begun to fall. I wiped them away, smiling sadly.

"No. It _all_ is. I fucked up, and you payed the price. That's not fair." I swallowed hard. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," Annabeth countered. "And I'll believe that no matter how many times you tell me I'm wrong."

I looked up at her in surprise. "What are talking about?"

"I heard you talking to me at the hospital." She looked away. "You don't really mean that, do you? That you'd give me up that easily. That you wouldn't fight for me."

I lifted her face. "Annabeth, look at me." She did. "You know that I would die for you. I just want you to be happy."

She put her face in my shoulder, the tears coming back harder than before. "I'm only happy when I'm with you," she whispered. I wrapped my arms around her tighter.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. I'm right here." We stood there for a while like that. I'm not really sure how long. All of a sudden, she pulled away, wiped her tears, and turned around.

"Oh, gods. Percy, I'm so sorry." I reached out to grab her arm, but she shook me off. "It's _me_ who doesn't deserve _you_. I lied to you, Percy. And it's not fair because I know you would never lie to me."

I wasn't sure how to respond. "About what?"

"I don't want to stay," she choked out. "I want to go to with you to New Rome. I'm just… _scared_."

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her from behind. She didn't protest this time. "Of what? What are you afraid of?" Annabeth had begun to cry again. I'd never seen her this vulnerable or afraid.

"Losing you," she whispered. This took me by surprise. It wasn't what I expected to hear. "You have a whole other life in New Rome. You have other friends, another family, and plenty of girls I'm sure would love to be your girlfriend –"

"Annabeth, stop," I interrupted. "You're not losing me. We've lost each other to much already. And I would never leave you, especially not for some college, power-hungry bitch."

She laughed. "Sounds like Octavian as a girl." I nodded. She turned around to face me.

"Promise you'll never let me go again?"

"I promise."

And she pulled me in with a kiss.

HOW LOVELY. THE TEENAGE LOVERS REUINTED.

I froze. So did Annabeth. I pulled her closer to me, making sure she wouldn't get away so easily.

"Leave us alone," I commanded. "It's over. You lost, won."

IS THAT SO? I SUGGEST YOU ASK YOUR GIRLFRIEND BEFORE YOU MAKE CLAIMS LIKE THAT.

I turned to Annabeth, confusion and fear written across my face. "The deals off," she said firmly. "You aren't hurting me. You aren't hurting Percy. You aren't hurting anyone. We're done."

THAT'S TOO BAD. MY DEALS DON'T WORK THAT WAY. YOU SAY THE DEALS OFF, YOU PAY THE PRICE.

"You see, my deals _do_ work that way." Annabeth eyes flashed with power. "And I'm. Waking. _UP_!"

My eyes burst open.

Annabeth was sitting up, trying in vain to rip the hospital bracelet off her wrist. She glanced up to see me staring at her in surprise. _She's actually awake_.

"Oh gods. Annabeth, you're awake." My eyes were wide and I could feel my jaw on the floor. She gave me a small smile, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into a hug. I held her, and moved her face so her lips met my own.

Annabeth pulled back suddenly. "Ow, ow, ow," she said, clutching her arm. We met eyes, and started laughing. I think we lost it. Everything that had happened was so crazy, we got kind of slap-happy. And, if felt good. I don't think either of us had laughed in a long time. I collapsed back in my chair, trying to catch my breath.

"I missed you, Annabeth," I said once I finally got myself together. "More than you'll ever know." She gave me a small smile and shook her head.

"But I _do_ know, Percy." She took my hand in her own. "When you disappeared last year, it tore me apart. Even though we hadn't been dating for that long, just the idea of losing _another_ person… I could barely keep it together."

"Well, I'm here now. And I'm not letting us get separated again. Ever." She smiled and moved over, tapping the space beside her. I climbed onto the bed and wrapped my arm around her. "I only have one question."

"Mmmhmm?" Annabeth's head was resting on my shoulder and her eyes were closed.

"In the dream, you and the weird voice said something about a deal? What was that? Is everything okay?" I could feel Annabeth's unease grow as I asked my question.

"When I disappeared, I was in the room, too," Annabeth replied softly. "It threatened you, and everyone else I care about. I sacrificed myself instead. That was the deal. He could do whatever with me as long as he left you and everyone else alone."

I shifted to face Annabeth. "And I didn't do anything. I fell into the trap. I thought I was doing something to help you, but I was wrong. Gods, I'm so _stupid_.

A look of distraught crossed Annabeth's face. "No, you're not. You care. You loyal. You don't leave anyone behind. And even if that's your fatal flaw, I still love it. I love every part of you. So don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only one who's fallen into a trap."

"What would I do without you?" I asked, leaning in for a kiss.

"I have no idea," Annabeth responded playfully.

My phone rang just as our lips touched. We groaned in unison. I checked the caller ID: Jason. I picked up.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

 _You didn't come back to the hotel last night. We thought something happened. Is everything okay?_

I laughed. "Sorry I didn't call, but yeah, everything's fine. Annabeth's awake, too." She beamed next to me.

 _Hold on, you guys. I can't hear Percy. Sorry, Perce, they won't shut up. Did you say Annabeth's awake? No, don't leave yet. Half of us aren't ready._

"I'll see you at the hospital, Jason. Bye" I hung up and tossed my phone onto the chair beside the bed.

"Now, where were we," I whispered.

The door opened.

"I give up," I moaned. Annabeth laughed and shook her head.

The nurse tried to stifle her laugh. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No," I said, climbing off the bed. "We were _just_ talking." I turned to Annabeth. "I'll wait outside, and you convince the doctor to let you go." She smiled and nodded.

I closed the door, trying not to let it slam. I failed. I leaned against the wall outside the room and rested my head on the white-painted plaster. I slid to the carpeted floor and exhaled. It was okay. We were together. After everything we'd been through together they past few years. I knew the most important thing was that we were together.

I heard a sound from down the hall. I turned to see a doctor, who couldn't have been a day over 40, come around the corner and turn towards Annabeth's room.

"Wait," I called out as he reached out for the doorknob. "You're Annabeth's doctor, right?"

The doctor gave me a small smile. "Yes. And you must be Mr. Jackson. I believe we met last night?" I nodded. He turned back to the door, but I touched his arm, and the turned to face me again.

"I just wanted to say, that I really appreciate what you're doing." He smiled, a look of recognition in his eyes. "I know that you've heard that before, and you'll probably hear it forever, but I mean it. Annabeth and I, all of us, we have our own story. So what you're doing –," I bit my lip, swallowing back the tears that were beginning to threaten to fall, "– It means a lot. So thank you."

"You know, Percy," the doctor began, "the whole reason I reason I became a doctor, or at least one of the reasons, is to hear that. The sound in people's voices, the look in their eyes, when the person they love gets better, goes home. It's one of the things I love about humanity." The doctor smiled. "Even though we can be arrogant and stupid sometimes, the things that we'll do for the people we love can't ever be explained by science. Some things shouldn't be."

As the doctor stepped inside the room, I thought about what he'd said. That some things shouldn't be explained or examined by science, that some things are better left undiscovered so we can continue to make the sacrifices for the people we love. So that doctors can still hear "Thank you" when someone gets better. So that people like us can continue to fight for what is right, even if it means explaining the destruction in New York or Greece or wherever with random storms and unexplained earthquakes.

"Hey," a voice said, bringing me back to reality. Annabeth stood in front of me in her hospital gown, her old clothes in hand. "I was going to go change, and the doctor said once I'm done, you just have to sign me out, and I'm free to go." I nodded, trying not to cry again.

As Annabeth stepped into the bathroom, I turned and walked back to lobby. Thanking the nurse, I sat down in an open chair and began writing. Someone sat down beside me. And on the other side. And across from me. I glanced up, grinning.

"Hey," Jason said calmly, as though Annabeth wasn't being released from the hospital, and it was any other day. I rolled my eyes, and stood up to return the papers to the desk.

I'd barely handed the nurse the last sheet when I heard my friends stand up and rush over to someone. I didn't have to turn around to know that Annabeth had entered the waiting room. I turned around anyways. Annabeth was talking and laughing, like nothing had ever happened. I could see it though. Her eyes were a little darker than before, and not in color. But she was good and hiding it, so I didn't say anything. It was over, and it wasn't worth it to bring it up again.

"You ready?" I asked, walking over. Annabeth nodded. I took her hand and pulled her towards the front doors. She pulled my arm around her and rested her head on my shoulder as we walked out.

"Let's go home, Percy," she whispered. "Let's go home."

 **Hi again! I made sure to not do any cliffhangers this chapter. I was feeling nice! ;) Anyways, if you read the first A/N, you'd know that the story is almost over. :( However, if you guys wanted me to, I would love to write a part 2 from Annabeth's POV! I already have some ideas, but it's up to you guys! Please comment, share, follow, and favorite. Love you guys!**

 **-daughterofpercabeth417**


	10. Return

**Hey Guys! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took so long, I had a bit of writers block. Okay, I'll stop talking. Here's the chapter.** **Chapter 10: Return** One day later, Annabeth and I were sitting on the couch. Her head was resting on my chest, and my arm was wrapped around her. We, more a moment, were normal. No monsters to run from, no prophecies to fulfill. Someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it," Annabeth offered. She got up and walked over. "Who's at the door?" I asked. Annabeth didn't respond. I swore under my breath. _Not again_. I rushed over to the door, my hand in my pocket, gripping Riptide tightly. There wasn't a monster. " _Logan_?" I said through gritted teeth, trying to stay calm for Annabeth's sake. My fists were clenched so tightly that they were about to start bleeding. Logan looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry to show up like this, but I heard Annabeth was in the hospital. When I got there, she was gone. I figured someone signed her out. You." Annabeth blinked. "How did you find us? I hacked the hotel records, but I've seen your computer. It would never work." Logan rocked back and forth, and motioned inside. Annabeth stepped aside. "Wait, what?" I looked back and forth between them. I stepped towards Annabeth. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked quietly. Annabeth turned to face me. "Percy, I know you don't like this," she whispered. "Neither do I. But, Logan still cares. He thinks that the time we had together is real, not a figment of imagination." Annabeth glanced over at Logan, who was now sitting on the couch. I sighed heavily. "Fine. But he can't stay for too long. Our flight is in an hour-and-a-half. We still have to pick up our tickets and get through security. We don't have all day." Annabeth nodded. We warily walked towards the couch and sat down in the chairs across from Logan. I grabbed Annabeth's hand, and I caught Logan wince, even though he tried to hide it. "What are you doing here?" I demanded. Logan turned to face Annabeth. He swallowed hard and lightly cleared his throat, as though he was preparing to make a big speech. "I wanted to apologize," Logan said softly. "The way I reacted wasn't okay. I never wanted to hurt you, but I got scared that I would lose you. Three years is a long time." I stiffened. I knew Annabeth noticed, because she squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Look, Logan," Annabeth began, "I don't want to hurt you, but this, _us_ … it's all a lie." She glanced towards me, worry creeping into her eyes. I nodded, giving her a small smile. She continued. "I know you probably don't understand. I wish I could tell you that this is all a dream and you'll wake up any minute, but I know from lots of prior experience that it doesn't work like that. Especially for people like Percy and I –" Logan scoffed. "So why don't you just tell me? You've told me so much already, just finish the story," he snapped back sarcastically. I clenched my fists and tried to rocket up from my seat, but Annabeth pulled me back. I shot her a look of shock and anger. "What?" I half-shouted. "This guy has been nothing but horrible to us since everything started. He can't just act like the victim." "Oh, but you can?" Logan asked angrily. "Yeah!" I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "I can. When you're life has sucked since day one, you're allowed to act like the victim." Logan laughed, nodding sarcastically. "Since day one? Sure. What, did you go through hell?" "Yes, actually. I did. _We_ did. Together. But, gods forbid you get a teacher who you don't like, or meet someone who annoys the crap out of you. Oh, but I'm sure they wouldn't try to kill you. Like they did me. And, just pray to the gods that you never get attacked by your worst fear night after night, or get sent on a deadly quest. Like Annabeth. And – " I felt Annabeth's hand grabbed my wrist. "Percy, stop! Both of you." Her voice sounded ashamed and hurt. I felt the white-hot anger burning in my chest cool down to a small spark. "I understand that you're angry. I am, too. But there is no time for us to start fighting again." Logan and I looked down, cheeks burning bright red. From the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth step next to me. "Logan?" "Yes." "You should go." Logan looked up at Annabeth. She nodded. Logan swallowed hard a muttered a goodbye. I slowly walked towards the door, and I had to fight the urge to push him out of the hotel room. Logan glanced back sadly and opened his mouth to say something. He didn't. Annabeth and I watched silently as he stepped through the door and closed it. Annabeth collapsed back into her chair, her face in her hands. I knelt down in front of her and took her hands in my own. "What's wrong?" She shook her head, whimpering softly. "It's okay," I whispered. "I'm right here." Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. "It's nothing. I'm fine," she whispered. "Just… I'm fine." Annabeth got up and went into the bedroom. I knew she was lying. She wasn't fine. I knew better than to ask, to bother her when she was upset like this. But still, it worried me. Forty-five minutes later, we were sitting in the airport gate waiting for the plane to arrive. Every minute that passed, my breathes became shallower and my heart rate quickened. "Are you okay?" Annabeth asked. She adjusted herself in the seat to my right so she could face me. I nodded. "Nervous?" "Yeah," I responded, strained. My fists clenched the arm rests. I felt Annabeth's hand on my own. I glanced over, and she gave me a reassuring look. "I just barely made it through the plane ride here. I don't think Zeus will be as generous this time." **_FLIGHT 242 IS NOW BOARDING_** I took a deep breath, and stood up. In a nervous daze, I handed me ticket to the attendant who quickly scanned it. I shoved it back into my pocket and kept my eyes down all the way to my seat. I slammed the window shut and closed my eyes. I heard Annabeth sit down next to me. "Your right, you know," she said. "Zeus definitely doesn't like you flying this much this often. But don't forget, his granddaughter is on this flight. My mom would be really angry if he blasted this plane out of the sky with me in it." I swallowed hard. "I hope your right about that." I felt my seat full back slightly. I looked up to see Jason standing above Annabeth and me. "I'm on this flight, too, you know," Jason said, smirking. I rolled my eyes, and locked them on the seat in front of me. Annabeth squeezed my hand reassuringly. I glanced over at her. Even crammed into a tiny seat in a stuffy airplane she looked beautiful. Annabeth looked over at me. "Why are you staring at me?" Her eyes widened. "There's not a monster behind me, is there?" I laughed, and shook my head. I turned back to the chair in front of me, and Annabeth did the same. We half-heartedly listened to the safety precautions, and soon enough the plane was taking off. I clenched my hands around the arm rests so tightly my knuckles turned white. "Percy?" Annabeth asked, once we were in air. "Why were you staring at me before?" I opened my eyes reluctantly, and tried to ignore the nausea in the pit of my stomach. I smiled. "I just missed you. I don't like us being separated." Annabeth raised an eyebrow and adjusted herself to face me. She looked at me expectantly. I feigned confusion. "What?" Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I know there's more to it, Seaweed Brain. I know you." She was right. Annabeth knew me better than anyone. I give her a small smile as I studied the features in her face. With her deep tan and curly blonde hair, she was exactly what a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. They were a startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating. But mostly pretty. "I was thinking about how beautiful you look right now," I admitted. Annabeth blinked, her lips forming a small "o". Suddenly she looked away. Her face looked hurt and broken. I took her hand and asked, "What's wrong?" Annabeth swallowed. "I don't feel beautiful." Now it was my turn to be surprised. I knew Annabeth was insecure sometimes (I still couldn't figure out why), but I never realized how greatly it affected her. "Well," I began. "Start feeling beautiful. Because you are –" Annabeth pulled me out of our seats and down the aisle to the bathroom. "Where are you taking me?" I tried to ask. She slammed the door and pulled me into a long, slow kiss. Her soft, vanilla lips brushed against my own. I ran my fingers through her tangled hair as her hand held my neck affectionately. Everything around us faded away. The thoughts of monsters, the sound from the plane's engine, the crying baby down the aisle, it all went away. It was just Annabeth and I. Finally together again. Someone knocked on the door. "Excuse me, other people need to use the bathroom!" Annabeth pulled away, cheeks bright red. She rested her head on my chest for a moment, and opened the door. A woman with a little girl were standing outside. The woman raised an eyebrow at us and we walked back down the aisle. "Mommy, what were those people doing in there?" "Nothing, sweetie." Annabeth glanced back at me, a new glow in her eyes, as we tried to stifle our laughter. When we got back to our seats, Annabeth put her hand on mine. "I love you, Percy," she whispered. "I love you." Arm in arm, we walked towards the barrier. We'd barely reached it when Annabeth pulled back. I turned towards her, confused, and half-heartedly waved my friends along. "I can't do it, Percy," she whispered. I grabbed her hands and pulled her towards me. "What can't you do?" I asked. "Because as far as I'm concerned, you can do anything." She smiled, but the fear didn't leave her eyes. I guided her off the path and we sat down on the grass. "I can't go back to camp." She clenched her fists in frustration. "I can't do it. I love it there, but I'm tired of fighting for my life. Every time we go to camp, a prophecy is given that we have to be a part of, and I don't want to be a part of it anymore." "I know. Neither do I," I agreed quietly. "But we don't get a choice. The day you ran away, and the day I killed that Kindly One at the museum, was the day we signed up for this life." Annabeth turned to face me. "It's not fair. We didn't ask for this? If I could go back…" I smiled thinly. "That's exactly what I said to the Olympians. That I didn't ask to be a demigod. I lost it. It was really bad." She laughed, and rested her head on my shoulder. "But go back? And change everything? No, no way." "Seriously? We've lost so much. You wouldn't want it all back?" I shook my head. I stood up, and Annabeth followed. "I'll admit, I do miss what we've lost. Friends, family, I think about them all the time, but I don't regret any decision I've made." I stepped closer and cupped her face in my hands. "Because everything I've ever done, ever said, has led me closer to you." Annabeth smiled and kissed me. I grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards Thalia's Tree. "And hey, if there is another prophecy, we can always send two 12 year-olds and a satyr on the quest."

 **Alrighty then! Second-last-chapter complete! Yeah, one more chapter and the story is over :(. I really want to continue writing for you guys! I was thinking about doing either a sequel from Annabeth's POV, or a companion (same story), also from Annabeth's POV. Let me know down in the comments!**

 **Love,**

 **daughterofpercabeth417**


	11. Epilogue

**Okay guys, this is it. This is my last chapter for this fan fiction. AHHH! I'm sorry if this is disappointing to anyone. I know what my next fanfic will be about though, so get ready. Alright, here's the chapter:**

Silently, I walked up the stairs. The hallway was dark except for a light coming from a doorway at the end. I knocked on the doorframe and peeked my head in. Annabeth was sitting on the bed, holding her stomach and crying softly.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded and wiped her eyes. I took her hand and pulled her up. "Good, because everyone is waiting downstairs. How is Emily doing?"

Annabeth moved my hand to her stomach "She's amazing." Her face was glowing. It had been glowing for almost nine months now. And, as much as a hated her, I thanked Hera every night for letting Annabeth and I start a family.

I thought back to everything we had been through together. It all seemed like another lifetime, like a really bad dream. All the running, all the fighting, all of everything, was just pretend. Except is wasn't. Any demigod knew that. Even so, sometimes it was nice to pretend. Pretend that everything was normal, that we hadn't had to fight for our lives for so long.

We were nearing the bottom of the staircase. Annabeth took my hand and said, "Ready?"

I nodded. "Ready."

"Daddy, look!" I looked up to see water floating through the air, and the top off of Emily's water bottle. She was beaming, despite the look of concentration on her five-year-old face.

I pulled my daughter onto my lap. "That's great, Wise Girl." I nodded at the bottle, and Emily willed the water back inside. The door opened to the back porch, and Annabeth sat down next to us. She was holding her sketchbook, and there was a pencil tucked behind her hair.

"I thought I was Wise Girl," Annabeth complained playfully. "Am I being replaced by my own daughter?" She feigned a hurt face, and I laughed, wrapping my arm around her shoulders like I used to.

"Can't I have two?" Annabeth shrugged, and went back to sketching. I watched as Emily ran around the front yard of our two story house in New Rome. We were waiting for the bus. It was Emily's first day of kindergarten, and I was so proud, so happy. Everything was going great. We were living normal lives after everything that happened.

"Mommy, Daddy, look!" Emily's called, bringing me out of my thoughts. A yellow school bus was coming down the street. Annabeth set down her sketchpad, and together we walked towards the bus.

Emily skipped happily, ready to start school. She definitely took after her mother in the academics area. I still couldn't understand the excitement someone could have for school, but I figured it ran in Annabeth's side of the family.

As we watched the bus turn the corner, Annabeth rested took my hand and pulled me back towards the house. "How did we do it?" I looked at her, my face showing clear confusion, and she elaborated. "How did we get so lucky? After everything that happened to us, this all feels like a dream, another cruel joke?"

I smiled, and shook my head. "We've been through this. Annabeth, I promise you, it's not a dream. This is real. Emily is real. New Rome is real. _We're_ real. Nothing's going to happen to us, not if I can help it." Annabeth stopped walking and gave me a small kiss, and I knew she appreciated what I had said. After everything we'd been through, it made sense to doubt what we had. But I knew, I had a feeling, that this time, we'd be okay.

"Emily Jackson," said the Dean as our daughter, now eighteen years old, walked up the steps to the stage to receive her high school diploma.

Annabeth and I rocketed up from our seats, whooping and cheering obnoxiously. Emily glanced at us, attempting to signal us to sit down, or at least calm down. We shook our heads, and she smiled. Her diploma acceptance was spotless, and I could feel my eyes water with pride.

"We did good," Annabeth said, and I nodded. As we sat down, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Emily seemed so sure of herself, so at peace with everything. She inherited a lot from us, but, thankfully, she didn't get our eyes. I don't mean color, I mean what's behind them. The demigods from our generation all have it, from the wars, the death, the hell, both literally and figuratively, that we've been through.

The other parents began to stand up and gather their things, and I took that as a sign that the graduation was over. The classes were always small, since most demigods don't get to live old enough to have children. Annabeth and I met our friends outside, and we talked and laughed as we waited for our kids.

"Mom! Dad! Over here!" a voice called, which I recognized as Emily's. She ran over, followed by Cristina, daughter of Apollo. (Cristina is Roman. I've met Roman Apollo before briefly, and he's _way_ less annoying.) Emily looked beautiful in her purple robe and cap. She looked just like Annabeth did when we were graduating high school. We still had the pictures and videos at my mom and dad's apartment in Manhattan.

"I have… news," Emily started. She glanced at Cristina nervously, who nodded reassuringly. Emily took a deep breath and continued. "I – Cristina and I, for a couple of months now… Um, well, we've been dating." I felt a smile form on my face that I knew mirrored Annabeth's. We all just stood there in silence.

Cristina stepped forward. "Okay, this is getting semi-awkward. Can someone say something? Please?" We all laughed, and the unnecessary tension disappeared. I watched as Emily's eyes lit up. She looked really happy.

I sat next to Annabeth on the couch in Emily's California apartment. She had called us, saying she had a surprise, and that we had to come over this weekend. So now, Sunday afternoon, we were waiting to hear news.

"Grandparents," Annabeth said. I looked at her, confused. "That's the surprise. Or at least I think it is. Our daughter's adopted a baby, or is going to. We're going to be grandparents."

I smiled. "You know I'm expecting a Percy Jr., right?" Annabeth shook her head, fighting a smile. I knew what she was going to say, and she knew that. Of course, Annabeth said it anyways.

"I have a feeling that Emily won't name her possible future child after her father. And anyways, what if it's a girl?"

I could see the regret in her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. I smiled mischievously. "Percy-ette." Annabeth groaned. She was feigning frustration, but I knew she still liked my bad jokes and embarrassing humor.

"You guys can come upstairs now!" Emily called from the second floor. Together, Annabeth and I climbed the flight of stairs and made our way down the hallway. The hallway was dimly lit, but it didn't seem too dreary. I appreciated that small aspect of Emily's house. I'd had enough dreariness to last more lifetimes than I can count. The only room lit up was at the end of the hallway, so we assumed Emily was there.

Through the doorway was a room painted baby blue. In the corner was a small crib, which stood next to a small dresser. On the opposite wall were toys and a small bookshelf filled with children's books. "Surprise," Emily said, beaming.

Annabeth turned to me, smiling and tears brimmed her eyes. "I told you."

 **Alright, that's it! Sorry that it was so short. Epilogues are never that long, and I was a wrap-up chapter more than anything. I hope to have my new fanfic out soon. It's going to be a character development for Annabeth, so get excited guys!** **I love you guys! You make writing so much fun!**

 **See ya soon!**


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